Love or Chains and Things We Can't Untie
by A.Lucretia
Summary: Gibbs was himself a man of few words; he relied more on his gut. And his gut told him two things: they were in serious trouble, and he didn’t want Abigail Scuito to know how serious it really was.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I

"I don't speak Portuguese."  
"Neither do I" he said, his mouth asymmetrical in that little half smile that increased her pulse _ever so slightly_.  
"Gibbs! How can you smile at a time like this?!" Abby was so flabbergasted the words came as little more than a croak. "We have no idea who these people are or... or what they want! And now we're trapped in this... box, this giant coffin or whatever, and-"  
"Relax Abs. You can hear a lot without words." Gibbs was himself a man of few words; he relied more on his gut. And his gut told him two things: they were in serious trouble, and he didn't want Abigail Scuito to know how serious it really was.

------------------

Agent Ziva David was pissed. Tony knew that look well: the set jaw, the smoldering eyes… and not smoldering for him, the way women's eyes so often did. Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo had a way of eliciting an adoring gaze from so many women, and a way of eliciting an extremely annoyed and slightly homicidal gaze from so many colleagues.

"I will not ask you again, Tony. Where is my chair?" she was three inches from his face, nose to nose.  
"I'm glad you won't be asking again, Ziva, because I don't plan on telling you." Tony said down in his own chair, leaned back and stretched.

"Why don't you use the boss's chair? Until he gets in" Agent McGee offered helpfully, but even before the words were out his mouth he knew it was a bad idea. Ziva glared him. "Sorry. I'll… go… back to … um… this. Now." He resumed typing up the last of the overdue file he was working on. The last few weeks had been hectic, and he was looking forward to catching up today, assuming no dead bodies turned up.

"You could always sit here" DiNozzo said, patting his lap.

"I will stand." Ziva folded her arms and went back over to her desk. She tapped her foot impatiently. When was Gibbs going to get in and give her something to do? _Or someone to kill_, she thought, narrowed gaze burrowing into DiNozzo's forehead. DiNozzo's phone rang, Ziva picked it up before he could even react.  
"Gibbs?" she said into the receiver, hopeful.  
"Ah… are you looking for Agent Gibbs?" came the answer, in a thickly accented voice she did not recognize.  
"Yes." She stated flatly, "who is this?"  
"I am the person who is going to help you find your Agent Gibbs before it is too late."

------------------

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was rarely caught off guard, but he was not expecting the doorbell to ring that late. He was halfway up the stairs on his way to the door when he knew who it was: Abby. The two had always had an inexplicable connection; sometimes it just felt like he could feel her. He opened his front door and found he was right. Abby stood on his front step, hands in the pockets of her striped peacoat, eyes and mouth downcast.

"Abs. What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Everything. Well not everything, obviously, since you're here and I'm here and I'm fine but I'm not fine. I mean I am _fine_… physically anyway. Except for this awful twisted feeling in my stomach that I get when people – _AUGH!_ Why do people have to be so… so..." Gibbs opened the door and stepped aside before she could finish. Abby walked in and plopped down on the sofa. Gibbs took the chair and leaned forward, elbows on his legs. He reached out and took her hand.

"What's the matter" this time it was a statement.  
Abby took a deep breath. She felt better already. Just being around her boss seemed to do that. It was like he gave off an energy - an aura she couldn't explain. "It's men, Gibbs. I hate them all. Well. Not you."  
Gibbs raised his eyebrows, Gibbs-speak for "go on."

"So there was this guy I had been seeing. Kind of. I mean, we were friends. And… I thought... I thought there was something more. You know, something special. But then tonight, I went to surprise him at his apartment and he was with another girl." She frowned, looked down. " I… I shouldn't be so upset… I guess."  
He ran his thumb over the back of her hand. She ignored the urge to melt into a puddle and continued, "We had a couple dates and we… I mean, things got…well… you know," she rolled her eyes, suddenly too shy to talk about sex with someone she found profoundly sexy. "Things… progressed. Somewhat. But then Friday I had to cancel our date- we were going to see a midnight showing of _Planet Nine From Outer Space_ at the Forum."

Gibbs looked at her blankly.

"_Planet 9_? Ed Wood? You know, the worst movie ever made?"

Gibbs shrugged.

"Well anyway, I had to cancel because of, well you know, the case, so I thought I would drop by his apartment today with the DVD and surprise him." Abby released Gibb's hand, stood up and walked to the window. She stood there a moment in silence. She inhaled, willing back the tears that were threatening to spill. She was almost ready to put this behind her. "I know her, you know." She said, spinning to face Gibbs. "She's another girl from his team."

"Bowling?"

"Yeah. He said they were just friends, but obviously not."

"How do you know she wasn't just visiting him as friends?"

"Because friends don't usually put their tongues down other friends' throats." She deadpanned. "I didn't even have to get out of my car. They were standing by his apartment door." She teared up at the memory: they had looked so comfortable. One hand around her waist, resting on her butt as he unlocked the door, sneaking a kiss as she went in. _That should have been my butt! My kiss._

Gibbs exhaled. His eyes narrowed and he stood up. "What are you gonna do?"

Abby straightened as she faced him and looked him square in the eyes. "I'm going to forget about him. I am. I have. Practically." Abby could almost hear his thoughts: _you have?_ She sighed. "I haven't. Yet. But I will! I'm mad at myself a little too, I guess. I never should have hoped. I feel stupid. Stupid, hurt, and…" she shook her head, "I'm… I shouldn't have bothered you, Gibbs. I just… I was driving home and I guess I thought…. I could use the company." _I could use your arms around me right now._ Her eyes met his, slightly questioning, appealing.

_Appealing_. Gibbs smiled. This was not the first time that Abby's eyes looked appealing to him. They were so clear, so honest, full of childlike innocence and wisdom beyond her years. He tilted his head to the side, "you want a drink?" he asked.

_I'm bothering him_. "No… thanks." She gave him a tight smile, "You have better things to do than listen to my lonely-heart whining. Besides," she added, more brightly, "tomorrow's Monday. Gotta be up bright and early."

"I always have time for you" Gibbs said. He wanted to say more, but instead he gave her a hug and a soft kiss on the cheek. He had pretty much decided that he'd have to settle for this: their friendly embraces and chaste kisses, the spicy sweet smell of her hair, and their close but somewhat familial friendship. _If that's settling_ he thought, _I should be grateful to settle_.

"Thanks Gibbs. Goodnight." Abby gave his arm one last squeeze, picked up her bag, and let herself out. Once she was gone, Gibbs turned to go back to the basement, to his boat- the only thing that would clear his mind and get it off her right now. The front door opened behind him. "Reconsider the drink, Abs?" he asked, turning

Abby stood, just inside the door, the barrel of a gun resting on her temple. "She's not thirsty," growled the voice from behind the ski mask, and then quickly added, "you make a move I shoot."  
Gibbs froze. Clad in his weekend uniform of jeans and a t shirt, he wasn't carrying his weapon anyway. "What do you want?"

"Come with me." As Gibbs let the gunman lead him outside, he felt a sudden sharp pain to the head, and then everything was black.

When he came to, he was in the back of a windowless van, arms bound behind his back. Abby sat next to him, staring straight ahead. There were streaks of black eyeliner down her pale white cheeks, but her eyes were dry now.  
"You okay Abs?" he asked.  
She turned. "Yeah. If you call this okay. Are you?" She stretched her body up, straining to get a better look at his head. Her hands were also bound.  
"It's fine." Gibbs said. "How long have I been out?"  
Abby sighed. "Uh, ten minutes? Maybe fifteen. We've been moving pretty fast the whole time- I think we're on the freeway. There haven't been many turns."

Gibbs nodded. He knew he could count on Abby to stay aware of the things that mattered, even under duress. The van lurched to a halt. There was a metal rolling sound- a garage door opening, perhaps- and the van moved forward again, stopped, and cut the engine. Gibbs heard talking, at first in English, then in what sounded like Italian. He strained to listen but couldn't pick up full words, only snippets. The doors opened and a large, masked figure stepped into the van. Gibbs and Abby squinted against the florescent lights as they were dragged from the van. They were in some kind of warehouse or storage facility: oil stained, concrete floors, a lingering odor of fuel. The men roughly forced them down in a corner, where a woman with a gun stood. "Good job. Put them here." She said, and Gibbs and Abby were unceremoniously plopped on the cold smooth floor. One of the men stood guard while the woman and other man carried on a conversation in what Gibbs recognized as Portuguese. Their voices calm and methodical.  
_Whatever this is_, thought Gibbs, _they've been planning it awhile._

They finished their conversation and the woman walked briskly toward the door. The man standing guard beckoned to the other. "What did she say? Now that we've got two of them… what does that mean for the plan?"

The other man shrugged. "I guess you could say" he said in thickly accented English "it means they die faster."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

Ziva's mind was racing. Was this man on the phone saying he had Gibbs? Was he threatening him? She mouthed the word "trace" to McGee, and turned back to the phone. "What do you mean, _too late?_" She asked.  
"I mean that you have 1 hour to secure the release of Cecíl Infante if you want to see Gibbs- or his girlfriend- alive again."  
Ziva looked intently at McGee who was furiously working at his computer. He held up one finger: _need more time_. DiNozzo stood behind her, alert and worried- he gave her a questioning look, which she ignored for the moment. "His girlfriend? I was not aware Agent Gibbs had a girlfriend."  
The man did not take the bait to talk longer. "I will call back in one hour. If Infante has been released, I will disclose the location of Gibbs and the girl. If not, they will be dead before you find them." The line went dead. McGee shook his head and Ziva slammed down the phone. She turned to Tony, "He is demanding the release of a Cecíl Infante and only then he will tell us where Gibbs is. He said he has a woman too- Gibb's girlfriend?"  
"I didn't know the boss had a girlfriend, but then again, he's not always especially forthcoming." Agent DiNozzo's mind was already racing ahead. "McGee- did you get anything on the trace?"  
"I've got a region- northern Virgina. I managed to recorded part of the call." He began playing it back. "Accent sounds Spanish." McGee said after the playback ended.  
"Portuguese" Ziva stated. She was now at her computer, "Infante was a Portuguese national who was involved in illicit arms deals with several Columbian drug cartels. He fled to the US in 1998, and was apprehended earlier this year. He's awaiting extradition."  
"Play that back" Tony said, turning to McGee. "What's that noise? That clanging noise?"  
"Let me try to isolate it." McGee said, already at work.  
"Ziva," DiNozzo turned.  
She finished his thought. "Find out everything I can about Infante and any known conspirators in the US."  
"There's no way we're going to get Infante released, but maybe we can find Gibbs before it comes to that."  
"What are you going to do?" McGee asked, as Tony rushed out of the squad room.  
"I'm gonna find out who his girlfriend is."

------------

Abby Scuito squeezed her eyes shut. _Stay calm, Abigail_ she thought. _Do not freak out. I've got Gibbs- it will be okay._ But she couldn't ignore what she had just heard. One of the men who had just kidnapped her and her boss just said they were going to die. Soon. She swallowed hard and opened her eyes. Gibbs was looking at her, his steely blue eyes full of concern and strength. _Don't worry, Abs._ She could read that expression even though he wouldn't talk with the armed guard standing so close by. _It's gonna be okay._ But she couldn't help it. She was worried...they'd been waiting all night and the kidnappers hadn't asked them any questions or given a clue as to who they were and what they wanted with Gibbs and Abby.

Gibbs leaned back against the wall. His arms were still tied behind his back, as were Abby's. One of the kidnappers stood by, armed, and the other had followed the woman out the large sliding door and closed it behind him. In the brief time the door was open, Gibbs saw a large grass field and long, paved road. _An airfield_ he thought. But where are they going to take us? He recognized that two of the kidnappers spoke Portuguese, but he understood little of what they were saying. They were meeting someone else, a prisoner? They were planning on flying out of the country. Were they planning to take him and Abby with them? Or leave them to die in this hangar? To what end? The man had also said they were going to die _faster_. Faster than what?

Gibbs reminded himself to breathe. He looked at Abby- obviously terrified. She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. He inhaled that rich scent that made his stomach flutter (not that Marines ever got butterflies). If only Abby hadn't stopped by- obviously these people were originally planning to take just him. Now Abby's life was at risk too…if anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. He turned and kissed the top of her head. _Don't worry, Abby girl,_ he thought, _I'm here. And I love you._ He felt Abby tense and move ever so slightly, almost as though she had heard him.

------------

"What did you find out?" McGee asked as Agent DiNozzo rushed back to his desk.  
"It's worse than we thought. Abby's missing. She's not answering her phone and the Director says she hasn't checked in. No one else has seen her."  
"You think she was with Gibbs when he was taken?" Ziva asked.  
"I don't know. Seems possible. McGee, what did you get from the audio?"  
McGee's mind was miles away- in Northern Virginia, actually. That's where the call had originated from and where Abby likely was right now. Was she hurt? Were they going to kill her?  
"McGee!" Tony's voice snapped him back to reality and he replayed the isolated background sounds from the call. The sound was clearer now- a metal rattling, scraping, and then a clunk. The call was obviously made outside- the wind gusted against the receiver. "I was also able to narrow the origin of the call down to a 10 square mile area southwest of DC. I put out a BOLO for Gibbs and Abby."  
"It sounds like a garage door or fence? Something outside, but probably secluded." Ziva offered, shaking her head. "Was that sound wind?"  
"Yeah, Ronald Regan National Airport is reporting gusts of 40 miles per hour."  
"Regan" Tony repeated.  
"Yeah, Ronald Regan Washington airport. The-"  
"Play that back, Probie." Tony was standing right behind him now, face close to the screen. About halfway through the playback, Tony straightened up. "That's it! Good job Probie."

-----------

"Get up," the man barked, as the other came around them and pulled Gibbs and Abby to their feet. "We're taking a walk." They were lead out of the hangar into the windy, blinding daylight. His eyes were still adjusting when Abby screamed and Gibbs was forced up and over the side of something and he landed face down with a thud right on top of Abby. A door slammed, and they were trapped.  
"Gibbs! Are you okay?" she asked, desperation and fear coloring her voice.  
"Yeah, I'm here." He answered. He strained his head up, trying to get enough distance to look in her eyes. "If you turn over, I think I can undo the ropes." Abby obliged, although rolling over was difficult in the cramped space with him on top of her. Once she did, he flipped too, and was able to work the ropes lose with his bound hands. She turned back over and untied his. They were face to face, Gibbs propped up on his elbows, her hands resting on his back. He tried to shift more weight onto his knees, but he was hotly aware of his pelvis pressing into hers. _Focus_ he reminded himself. They tried to force the door above them open, but apparently it was locked shut.

Abby reached her hand behind her neck, and all of the sudden their faces were lit. She was wearing a necklace of plastic, light-up skulls. It would have been funny under other circumstances. "At least we can see," she said solemnly. She looked into his face- having him so close like this, on top of her, was making her tingly. And when she had her head on his shoulder before, inside… what had he been thinking? She thought she picked up... No. She must be wrong. But they did have a connection, a binding she could not seem to untie. Could he really feel... how she thought he felt? _It's not like that_ she told herself. _Things with Gibbs are strictly platonic._ But she could feel the muscles of his back through his t-shirt, could smell his aftershave on his cheek… and… was there something in his pocket?  
"No," she said out loud, unsure.  
"No what?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.  
"Um. Nothing. Where are we? Is this some kind of industrial _coffin_?" best to change the subject.  
"I don't know," he said, straining his neck to look around. It smelled stuffy in there, like mildew. The walls and bottom were smooth and cold. Then it dawned on him. "We're in a freezer" he said.  
"It's not _that_ cold"  
"I realize that, Abby. It's not _on_ but it's a freezer. The chest kind -we used to have one. The top has a latch to hold it shut on these old ones."  
"Oh right. The ones made before the 70s actually locked from the outside. They've been recalled, because" she stopped. "Because children can get trapped inside. And… and…." her eyes met his.  
He finished her sentence, although he didn't have to, "and suffocate."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

"Abby, just breathe." Gibbs awkwardly stroked her hair, as best he could in the confined space.  
"Breathe?! You just told me we're about suffocate!"  
"We've got some time and-" he suddenly picked up muffled voices from outside the freezer. It was the woman and one of the men again, speaking in Portuguese. Gibbs was able to pick up a little of what they said- he thought he heard them say they had contacted NCIS, and it gave him some hope. Yet… he knew their air wouldn't last long.  
"What language are they speaking?" Abby hissed.  
"Portuguese-"  
He paused. As he looked into Abby's sparking green eyes, he suddenly felt a bit more fear than he'd care to admit. Would he ever have the chance to tell her? Then again, even if they got out of this alive… he didn't know if he could ever reveal his true feelings for her. It would destroy their friendship, and besides, she could never love him, could she? Every once in a while he picked up something that made him think _maybe_. Maybe she did see him as more than a friend, boss, or mentor. Maybe she felt electricity there too, when they touched or when their fingers brushed as he handed her a Caf-Pow and kissed her on the cheek. _When I get out of here, I should tell her_, he thought. Being so close to her in this small space, he felt more acutely than ever how much he wanted her. Usually, he could just walk away when these feelings struck. But it was hard now, with his body pressed against hers and her arms wrapped around him. He only had to move a half inch, and their lips would meet. _Maybe… _but again he was assuaged with doubt. Could she love him? Did she? "Do you, Abs?" he breathed out loud before realizing he had.  
Abby returned his questioning look, but her mind was still on the kidnappers outside. "What? You expect me to know what they're saying? I don't speak Portuguese."  
"Neither do I" he said, and smiled in spite of himself. They might not make it, but they might. He had a lot of faith in NCIS, in his team. And being this close to Abigail Scuito… well, it was hard not to smile.

------------

"What?! What is it, Tony?" Ziva demanded impatiently.  
"_Battle of Britain_. 1968. Michael Caine fighting the Luftwaffe."  
McGee and Ziva stared at him blankly.  
"An airfield!" Tony exclaimed. "The caller was at an airfield. That sound behind him was an old hangar door sliding shut."  
McGee was already typing furiously at his computer. "There are two airports in the area where the call was made. And one of them is abandoned- the perfect place to hide out- the Crossroads Airport in Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia."  
"Let's go!" Tony barked, and they were on their way. He hoped they could get there before the kidnappers realized they weren't going to get their prisoner.

------------

_He's worried_ Abby thought. _He's scared we're going to die. That we're going to be left here until we suffocate._ It already felt stuffy in there… or was that her imagination? Her heart was pounding. She willed it to slow down.  
"Abs," Gibbs whispered, "you have to calm down. We have to conserve oxygen. Breathe. Slowly."  
She nodded her head. "it's hard, Gibbs. I'm scared."  
"Breathe with me," he said, and inhaled slowly and shallowly… paused, and then exhaled. He felt her chest pressed against his, trying to move with him as he breathed in, and out. Up, and down. Slowly. "Good" he whispered "good girl." She shifted her leg so that it wrapped around his and he almost skipped a breath. He felt a pang of guilt for having sexual thoughts at this moment, when she was so vulnerable and they both might die. But damnit… she did this to him. It was her energy- their energy- that bound them together. A connection he could not disconnect, even if he tried. And at the moment, he was tired of trying. She began to relax, and her arms slid back down, her hands resting on his sides. His own arms were killing him from being propped up on his elbows so long. He shifted his weight to give them a break.

"Here" she said, and slid up, allowing him to rest his head next to hers. She felt his face press against hers as he relaxed his posture. She was wearing a coat, but it was unbuttoned, and the only thing between his chest and hers was the jersey cotton of their respective shirts. It suddenly felt very thin. She focused on conserving air, breathing the way Gibbs showed her. Focused on staying hopeful, staying alive, and not on how it felt to have her soft chest pressed against his hard one. _It feels like home_ she thought. _It feels right._ She breathed him in and turned her head toward his; her lips brushed against his neck. She swore she felt his heart beat a bit faster. _No… that's _my_ heart._  
"I think it's both." he said softly.  
"What? But…" she hadn't said that out loud, had she? She turned her head to look in his eyes, but he did not move away. Instead he turned until his lips met hers _oh so softly_.  
"Gibbs" she whispered against his mouth.  
"Abby…" the word was lost in the kiss: at first slow and tender, then a bit more deep and passionate. When their lips parted, they just looked at each other for a long while. At this moment, there was not much else to say.

------------

"It's going to be hard to come up undetected" McGee said, "but I think if you pull off about 30 meters ahead, we can cut through this wooded area and come in through the back part, near the hangars. They'll be less likely to see us than if we approached from the north."  
The car screeched to a halt. The three agents got out and began to make their way through the woods, weapons drawn. As they approached a clearing, Tony signaled for them to hold position as he surveyed the area by the hangars. An older model van was parked next to one, and he saw that the door was unlatched. He motioned for Ziva to go around to the west; he and McGee would go to the east. They moved ahead as silently as possible and approached the hangar door. There was another door on the north side- Tony kicked it in as Ziva and McGee burst in to the hangar, weapons drawn. There were two men and a woman inside, sitting on folding chairs around an ancient looking card table, but no sign of Gibbs or Abby.  
"NCIS! Hands in the air!" Tony shouted, and the woman reached for her weapon as the two men ran for the door. Tony fired, hitting her in the arm and forcing her to drop the gun. The other two froze and were soon laying facedown on the concrete floor, handcuffed.  
"Where are they?" Ziva asked the woman, hovering her mouth over her ear. The woman said nothing. "WHERE ARE THEY?" Ziva shouted. She forced the woman's head around so they were face to face, eye to narrowed eye. Zeva dug the barrel of her gun into the woman's neck.  
"I wouldn't make her ask again" Tony said, "I know that look."

-------------

Gibbs and Abby's silent conversation was interrupted by the sound of gunfire and shouting.  
"They found us" Abby whispered. She gave Gibbs a wan smile as she shut her eyes. She was… so… sleepy. It was getting harder to breathe. Gibbs willed himself the strength to kick the sides of the freezer a few times. _We're in here DiNozzo!_ he thought, but he was too weak to shout. He touched Abby's face with the side of one hand. She looked so beautiful, even now. If he had to die… at least they were together. He kissed her lips one last time…

The door snapped open. Abby felt a cool rush of air – she could breathe! She squinted up and saw Tim looking down at her. "They're here!" he shouted, and leaned over to pull Gibbs up. "Are you alright?"  
"Yeah," Gibbs grunted, and then turned to Abby, now sitting up in the freezer. McGee helped her out and she gave him a hug. "I'm fine, McGee" she said, catching Gibb's eye as her chin rested on McGee's shoulder. _What now?_

------------

Gibbs tapped his pen impatiently at his desk. He had come in early that morning, hoping to talk with Abby before everyone else arrived. They hadn't had a moment alone since they were found, and Gibbs didn't want to have this conversation on the phone.  
Tony and McGee sat at their desks, Ziva was off looking for a desk-chair. He wasn't sure what had happened to her old one. Beyond inquiring after his health, his agents hadn't said much to him that morning; they could probably tell his mind was elsewhere. Specifically, it was back in Virgina, back at that airfield. But it was also at his house, in her lab, in the elevator- everywhere they'd ever been together: Abby, himself, and the unspoken _other_. His mind ricocheted from place to place and back again, searching for a clear answer among the blurred lines of their friendship and the murky waters of love and affection. He knew what he had to do. _Am I a fool?_ he wondered, eyes narrowed, staring straight ahead and seeing nothing but her face…  
"Jethro!" Ducky seemed to materialize out of nowhere.  
"Yeah, Duck"  
"I thought I told you to stay home today. That was a nasty bump on the head, and even if you're not concussed-"  
"Well, I had some business to take care of," Gibbs said, swiveling his chair toward him.  
Ducky looked him straight in the eye and paused a minute. "She's downstairs," he said. "Just got in."  
Without another word, Gibbs got up and walked purposefully toward the elevator, just as Ziva returned.  
"Where is he going?" she asked Ducky.  
"He has some loose ends to tie up… or untie."  
Ziva looked at Dr. Mallard questioningly, but that was all he had to say on the matter. There was something else though. "Ziva, my dear girl. Would you happen to know how a chair, much like this one right here" he patted the back of Gibb's chair, "happened to end up in one of my morgue freezers?"  
Ziva's head snapped so quickly to the right that he was surprised she didn't throw out her neck. "Tony!" she hissed. Tony gave her that shit-eating grin he reserved especially for these occasions. "Yes, Ziva?" She strode by him without a word, but Tony knew it wasn't over yet. He smiled as he leaned back. _Nope, definitely not over._

------------

Abby had her back to the door, but Gibbs didn't surprise her this time. She was expecting him and expecting this conversation. She'd been planning it, rehearsing it in her mind all night and most of that morning. She spun to face him. "Gibbs," she said, just as he said "Abby."  
He set a Caf-Pow down on the work table. She gave him a tight smile. _Business as usual?_ she thought, but quickly realized that was not the case when he took both her hands in his.  
"Abby," Gibbs took a deep breath. "We need to talk."  
"I know," she said. "I… I've been thinking a lot about it, and…. I mean," she cleared her throat. Why was this suddenly so hard? "Look, I know we've always had a special… relationship. Like, a connection. More than just work- deeper than that. Like, a cosmic thing … karma, or kismet… or whatever" she was getting flustered, blushing deeply under the pressure of his gaze.  
"We are connected, you and I" he replied softly, nodding.  
She went on, "We're tied to each other. And you know how much I care about you. A lot. A whole lot. And… I know when we… that doesn't mean… I mean, it _does_, but I-"  
"Abs. You don't have to say anything." Gibbs interrupted her rambling and squeezed her hand. "You mean a lot to me too. And yesterday, well…yesterday we were under a lot of stress. We should just…" he paused and searched her warm green eyes for any sign of a reaction or a clue as to what she was thinking.

_Take the plunge?_ she thought impatiently, _Move on? Give up? Make out? We should just _what_, Gibbs???_  
Gibbs put a hand on the side of her face and it was as if a bolt of lightning shot from his hand to her heart- and somewhere lower. She flinched- _please kiss me again_, she thought.

He ran his thumb over her smooth white skin and felt her sudden movement away from his touch. _This isn't right_ he thought. He dropped his hand and looked down. "We should just forget about it." He took a deep breath. She looked away. "Take today off, Abs. I'll see you tomorrow."  
She nodded. "Yeah, Gibbs. You're right. It's been a long couple of days."  
He raised his head to meet her gaze, and wondered if he'd made a terrible mistake. Or maybe he'd made a wise decision- after all, she was too precious for him to lose. He watched as she walked to the door, picked up her coat and bag, and turned to leave, giving him one last solemn look on her way out.

_You know my love goes with you  
As your love stays with me  
It's just the way it changes  
Like the shoreline and the sea  
But let's not talk of love or chains  
And things we can't untie  
Your eyes are soft with sorrow  
Hey, that's no way to say goodbye _

_ -Leonard Cohen, "Hey That's No Way to Say Goodbye"_


End file.
